KIAMBU, KENYA, 4th November 2026 – Uganda’s Minister of Local Government, Hon. Barugahara Balaam Ateenyi, this morning joined Ministers responsible for Local Government and other senior leaders from across East Africa at the opening of the East African Local Government Forum at the Windsor Golf Hotel in Kiambu County, Kenya.
The forum is being held under the theme “Accelerating Local Autonomy.”
In his remarks at the opening, Hon. Balaam called for greater empowerment of local governments through enhanced decision-making authority, financial autonomy, adequate resources and institutional capacity.
He emphasised that decentralisation must translate into better service delivery, accountability, local economic growth and improved livelihoods.
“My message to the region was clear: East African integration and sustainable development must be anchored in strong, empowered and accountable local governments,” he said.
“Let us move from commitments to action.”
The East African Local Government Forum (EALGF) is a network of key players and stakeholders from local and central government involved in promoting decentralisation, recognising the important role of local government in development, and improving local service delivery in the East African Community (EAC) region.
The Forum was launched in 2012 in Arusha, Tanzania, by Ministers of Local Government of the EAC countries, the East African Local Governments Association (EALGA) and partners, to create a regional platform to address key challenges facing the sector and build a stronger relationship between local government and the EAC.
It brings together Ministers responsible for Local Government, Permanent Secretaries and senior ministry officials, presidents/chairpersons of national local government associations, the leadership of EALGA, and international partners including the Commonwealth Local Government Forum (CLGF), United Cities and Local Government – Africa (UCLG-Africa), UNDP and UNCDF.
The Forum is chaired by Hon. Ministers of Local Governments on an annual rotational basis and co-chaired by the Chairperson of EALGA.
The EAC, whose integration agenda the Forum supports, currently comprises Kenya, Uganda, Tanzania, Rwanda, Burundi, South Sudan, the Democratic Republic of Congo and Somalia, and has pursued deeper economic integration through a Customs Union, Common Market and Monetary Union roadmap.
